First published in 1912, "Étude sur le mouvement d'art décoratif en Allemagne" was Le Corbusier's first publication. In it, the young architect lucidly analyzed the German applied arts movement and its protagonists (such as Peter Behrens, for whom Le Corbusier worked in 1910-11). The text is one of the most substantial documentations of the development of modern German design; at the same time, it provides essential insights into Le Corbusier's early career. This publication introduces the "Étude" in its first-ever English translation. An extensive illustrated commentary discusses Le Corbusier's text in the context of applied arts, politics and architecture, on the eve of the First World War.